Happy Birthday Elton John!

My first favorite rock star is 75 today!

Today is Elton John’s 75th birthday. Elton John was my first favorite rock star and I still love much of his work.

I don’t remember when I first heard an Elton John song, but it was probably early one school morning on WFIL-AM, one of Philadelphia’s powerhouse Top 40 radio stations in the late 1960s – early ‘70s. My parents didn’t own any EJ albums, but I’m sure his songs were flooding the radio airwaves. I couldn’t help but hear them.

1975 was Elton John’s monster year, and I was there for it, all year long. The year began with the Elton cover of the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” ruling the charts. Before too long though, “Lucy” was eclipsed by the epic Philly soul tribute “Philadelphia Freedom.” I can’t emphasize enough how cool it was to have your new favorite rock star scoring a huge hit song about your favorite city.

Elton delivered his autobiographical Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy in late May, just in time for my 10th birthday (as always, thanks Aunt Cathy!). Nearly 50 years later, that album still hits hard for me.

EJ closed out 1975 with Rock of the Westies. Less epic, but it totally rocked.

Happy Birthday Elton John! See you at Citizen’s Bank Park in July!